The Art of Inspiration
by WinterEssence00
Summary: Shiraiwa Yuna, a young artist, has lost her will to create eye catching pieces but when she reunites with her childhood best friend, Kuroko Tetsuya, could this be the motivation to push her forward? As she embarks on Kuroko and Kagami's journey to make Seirin number one in Japan, will this become an unlikely source to inspire her and fill her palette with new, colorful meanings?
1. Prologue

Heya! Let me start by saying that this is my first fanfic for Kuroko no Basuke. I just recently got into the anime/manga and just fell in love. I mean it has (a) hot boys, (b) awesome basketball players, and (c)...hot, SWEATY boys ;P. Anyways, this is just a flashback prologue thingy where I introduce my OC. This story will have an OC x Canon pairing but as of right now I don't know who to pair her with as of yet.

* * *

Prologue: Past Promises

_"Ne, Yuna-chan?" asked a small pale boy, no older than eight, with light blue hair and matching eyes. He was sprawled on a grass meadow with another person, a fair skinned girl with short wavy black hair and light greenish aqua colored eyes. The two children stared up at the clear blue sky which was peppered with the white puffs of the clouds._

_ "Yeah, Tsu-chan?" replied the little girl as she turned slightly so her eyes would fully land on the face of her best friend._

_ "Do you think I'll ever find something that I'm good at?" he questioned softly, looking at the girl with a deep glumness held in his azure eyes. The girl sat up from her laying form and the boy followed. The young boy looked down at his short clad lap with his spiky locks covering his eyes. "Will I ever find something I love with all my heart? Like you do with art or your brother with music?" _

_ The little girl placed her small hand on top of his and she smiled when he faced her,two distinct dimples appearing on her cheeks. "I'm sure you'll find something you're good at in time. My mommy told me that inspiration has something to do with it. I think you haven't found the thing that makes your heart pump whenever you see it, yet. But, I know you'll find it one day because I believe in you, Tsu-chan!" she encouraged and the little boy was moved by her declaration. She always shined so brightly and he was drawn to her luminance which made him feel like he could accomplish anything. But soon that light would be gone._

_ "I wish you didn't have to leave." The boy sighed as he gave her hand a squeeze. "Why did Thailand have to be so far away?"_

_ The girl sighed as well. "Yeah, I wish it was like right down the street or something but I can't do anything about it. I wish Mommy and Papa didn't have to travel so much."_

_ "I'm going to miss you, Yuna-chan."_

_ "Me too, Tsu-chan." The two children sat in the grass looking on in silence not staring at anything in particular. The mood becoming depressing and gloomy and the little girl felt like she was suffocating. "I can't take this anymore!" she said standing up abruptly._

_ The little blue boy blinked. "What's wrong, Yuna-chan?" he asked. The little raven held her hand out to help him stand up and he took it nonetheless. The kids stood up to stare at each other, one more confused than the other._

_ "Nothing's wrong but if I keep thinking about the fact that I'm being separated from my best friend, I'll start crying really hard and I don't want to do that." she admitted before lifting up the boy's pale hand and laced their pinkies together. "I'd rather leave on a positive note so we should make a vow."_

_ "A vow?"_

_ "Yeah, something that'll help us remember each other for years to come." explained the young girl. "No matter how many worlds apart we are, we will always remember the faith we had in each other and continue to strive to do our best."_

_ "Okay." The boy replied with a nod and a smile._

_ "I'll go first! I, Shiraiwa Yuna, promise to become the best artist that Japan has ever raised!" she proclaimed. "Now your turn, Tsu-chan."_

_ The boy nodded. "I, Kuroko Tetsuya, promise to find something that inspires me and when I do,I will become the best I can at it." The two shook their hands, binding themselves to their promises._

* * *

Sooo there it prologue. It was pretty action packed and intense, huh? Lol just kidding but anyways this is my base for the story (If that's the right word :P). Next chapter, the official beginning, will be where I present the issue (I think).


	2. The Shadow's Light

Hola! The true first chapter of this story is finally here. Reunion after eight years! Not much happens besides two childhood friends catching up and Yuna's dilemma.

Omg! Like thank you so much for the follows, favorites, and reviews. I honestly didn't expect any thing for just a prologue lol but it made me really happy. Yay! After this chapter I'm going to try and post a chapter every two weeks (one week if I'm on a roll) so yeah that is all. I don't own anything besides the OC that appear.

* * *

Chapter 1: The Shadow's Light

Dull. Everything seemed so dull. The sky was a beautiful clear blue with an array of colored birds flapping along pass the multiple white puffs of clouds. The crisp spring wind scattered the soft pink cherry blossom petals across Seirin's school courtyard. Cheerful grins on the varietal palette of students dressed in various navy blues, blacks, grays, whites, and crèmes, eager to join the club of their desire. Such vibrancy in one area yet it didn't touch Yuna like it once did. Why is that? She would've thought of the whole array as bewitchingly beautiful but now…nothing. Just nothing. She was colorblind to the traditional appeal. There was nothing but numbness. A colorless numbness.

"Art club! Join the art club!"

Yuna felt her heart clench. It yearned to be in that surrounding, that paint and pastel filled atmosphere of endless canvases but she couldn't. She didn't deserve to. She was nothing more than a lost cause, an artistic failure. An artist who lost her touch. Her world, her canvas, once bustling with intensity now void. Her vision now colorless. Her inspirations drawing blank. The teen continued to walk along as a lone soul traveling a voided path. She continued to embark on the banal journey when she came to a halt, bumping into an obstruction of her passage. Looking up, she saw the most beautiful gems that gleamed in her unpigmented world. The azure orbs shined with a familiarity that made her feel warm. She longed to drown in the deep pools of blue, the same two pools she hadn't seen up close in so many years.

"Tsu-chan…" Yuna whispered. Kuroko blinked before his face showcased mild surprise.

"Yuna-chan?"

* * *

"So, your family decided to reside in Tokyo once again?" Kuroko asked politely, unpacking his bento that his mother prepared for him. The two freshmen sat outside, on the freshly cut grass under the cherry blossom trees, to eat lunch instead of inside the classroom.

"Yeah, my parents are focusing on publishing their work so we moved back to Japan. My brothers chose to go to a different school but I decided on Seirin since it was new and low key. I never would've imagined that I'd see you here." Yuna replied, while opening up her own lunch, a container of Burmese styled chicken curry, in the process. Her mom was a cultural anthropologist while her dad was an archaeologist. They would usually alternate between being a sole parental figure but when Yuna was in the third grade her parents couldn't uphold the normal tactic, so her family had to relocate multiple times over the course of eight years. Having expert researchers as parents and getting to learn about various cultures would always be cool in her book, but the homeschooling made her and her older brothers feel lonely. They yearned for a stable environment where they could be normal kids, make normal friends, but didn't want to be burdens to their parents. Feeling guilty and understanding, their parents decided to put the long term research projects on hold for a while and let them be normal teenagers in a place they truly loved. "It's great being back in Japan. I have nothing but fond memories of this place." She smiled softly reminiscing on the past.

Kuroko looked over at his childhood best friend as she fiddled with the pearly white locket hanging from her neck. She had gotten really pretty over the years. Now, she had always been cute, or "Super Duper Kawaii" as she called herself, but there was a clear distinction between being a young woman and a little kid with Yuna. Her smooth alabaster toned heart-shaped face lost its chubby, childish quality and became outlined with a soft and delicate femininity. Her shiny black waves of hair which once barely touched her neck, now reached a little passed her waist. Yuna's physical form had…changed significantly, to put it simple, and he was now a few inches taller than her compared to it being the opposite when they were little. His favorite feature on Yuna, by far, had to be her eyes. They were large and a light greenish blue color that resembled Caribbean waters on a bright day. Surrounded by long thick lashes, Yuna's eyes always had the power to draw him in and became a gateway that showed her emotions. When she was younger they held warmth and assurance in them. But now, they held the sadness of a lost soul and it made him feel uneasy about seeing her so out of character. What happened in the past eight years? "So how's your art coming along?"

Yuna stiffened slightly, which would've went unknown had Kuroko not been keen on observing people. "Well, it's been going pretty good over the years, I suppose. I did a project with a school in Ghana when my mom was researching there about three years after I left Japan. I painted a mural for them and some photographers took a picture of it to put in a travel magazine. Soon after I gained recognition as some sort of child prodigy, since I was only eleven at the time. Afterwards, I started putting out work with different artistic styles and had multiple gallery openings which made me even more popular to the point where I had to make my aunt my manager. Over the next four years, I was able to create beautiful masterpieces which helped charities from all over the world and still left me with more than enough profit for myself. Ultimately, I was able to bring happiness to a lot of people and that was the most satisfying thing to me."

"That's really great, Yuna-chan. All of your hard work finally paid off." Kuroko congratulated her with a soft smile. He was really proud of her, knowing firsthand how much time she took practicing and perfecting her technique. He wished that he was on the same level of expertise and accomplishment as her but he was a late bloomer after all.

"Hmm, you think so?" Yuna asked softly, the sadness in her light eyes more evident than ever.

"What's troubling you, Yuna-chan?" asked a concerned Kuroko.

Yuna sighed. "Since last year, I've been on hiatus from art projects and not because I wanted to. I've lost my touch, my individual artistic touch that showcase my motivation and feelings that give the piece meaning. Colors and technique have no meaning to them anymore and I feel like I'll never get out of my slump. Like my short career has finally come to a dead end." She then rummaged through her white spare bag and pulled out an art book with thick black bindings which she handed to Kuroko.

He flipped the book open to the first page and saw one of Yuna's pictures. It was of a sunset on the sea with the outline of a girl looking out to it. He was completely amazed by how beautiful and intricate such a simple piece could look. The sky was an array of red, orange, green, and blue with black to color the wisp of clouds that blended together so naturally. The teal colored waves in the sea were detailed expertly showing the reflecting reddish orange light of setting sun. The girl, though she was just colored black, seemed like a strong heroine standing on a rocky platform with seemingly long hair blowing in a breeze. It looked so realistic, looking more like a photograph than a painting. Kuroko was in awe at how much she had actually grown as an artist. It's hard to believe this was the same girl who struggled with drawing simple stick figures back in first grade.

"That is called _Karina,_ my personal breakthrough piece which is really dear to me." Yuna informed the boy. "Right after we left Thailand, we went to a small town in the Philippines. I befriended a girl who was around the same age as me named Karina. One day, she took me to one of her most important places, which was a cove that looked out to the sea. Karina told me that her parents were fisherman who died when a typhoon hit and the waves destroyed their boat. She was only five at the time and had no additional family besides her three younger sisters, so she was forced into the parental figure role with help from some of the townspeople. She said that she would always go and look out to the sea as a way of telling her parents that she and her siblings were fine. I remember being in awe at how strong she was for such a young person. She was a true inspiration because if I had been put in that situation, I don't know what I would've done."

"Wow." Kuroko whispered, absently. The picture made even more sense after hearing the story.

"My whole point is that it's easy to draw a nice picture with pretty colors but without inspiration, without that one eye catching moment, it has no meaning or purpose." Yuna sighed. "Maybe it wasn't meant to last forever. I could always study about archaeology, it seems pretty cool. Or I could be some type of mad scientist." She mused, using her white chopsticks to play with a piece of chicken. She then felt a pale hand gently place itself upon her light gray cloth covered forearm. She looked up to see Kuroko staring at her with a very intriguing emotion swirling in his azure eyes. Yuna knew good and well how blank his stare was having grown up with him since the diaper days. Only on a few occasions did his eyes mirror his inner emotions. Determination was all she saw at the moment.

"We both know that you would never be truly satisfied with archaeology or any other study. Art is a part of you and you can't give it up." Kuroko said softly. "I won't let you, Yuna-chan. We'll figure out something to help you through this." Yuna was touched by his declaration and couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips. He really was a truly invaluable friend who knew the right words to say to give her hope. His belief for her hadn't wavered in the slightest over the years and she couldn't find it in her heart to let him down. He was a shadow brimming with unique brightness that replenished her own radiance when needed.

Yuna placed her hand on top of his, her dimples making an appearance before Kuroko after eight years. "You don't know how much I've missed you, Tsu-chan. Thank you for your continued belief in me because it truly means a lot." she giggled. "Now enough of my angst filled soap opera and onto a documentary called the _Life and Times of Kuroko Tetsuya_! How have the last few years been for you? Did you find your special calling?" Yuna asked.

"I honestly don't know if I would say it's my calling on a prodigious level but I do love to play basketball." Kuroko answered politely. "I played for my middle school and we were pretty good for a while."

"Wow, I would've never pegged you as a sports athlete but that's great to hear." Yuna smiled. Kuroko was a very fragile child when they were little, so she tried to help find his calling in stuff that was non-sports related. Guess she was wrong about that. "Did you sign up for the Seirin basketball team?"

"Yes." Kuroko answered with a nod of his head. "We have a physical evaluation today after school and a practice game tomorrow to finish off the process."

"Well, I'll come and give you my support during the practice game." Yuna informed. "No matter where I've been and for how long, I am still the founder and permanent member of the Kuroko Tetsuya fan club."

Kuroko smiled at her. "I'd greatly appreciate that." he responded. The warning bell sounded, signaling the last few minutes before lunch was over and they had to head back to class. Both teens packed up their empty lunch containers and placed them in their bags. Kuroko stood up before politely helping Yuna up as well. The two walked side by side to their homeroom. "You should come by my house sometime. Mother, father, and grandmother would love to see you again."

"Sure thing. You still live in the same house, right?" she asked and Kuroko nodded his head. "You should do the same when we get fully settled in at the new house. We have a few new additions to our family that I want you to meet."

Kuroko nodded in agreement before he thought of something. "Ne, Yuna-chan?"

"Hm?"

"Can we start anew with the nicknames, please? Can you replace the –chan with –kun? That nickname is kind of embarrassing now that I'm in high school."

"Let me think." Yuna actually looked thoughtful for a second. "Not a chance, dude. But, you're more than welcome to ask again when you're thirty." she replied with a smirk as she pat the boy's shoulder. Kuroko let out a dejected sigh which made Yuna laugh brightly, her dull, desolate canvas rejuvenated and ready to rediscover the color that once drained and vanished from it.

* * *

Soooo~ Love it? Hate it? Don't know yet? I'm more of a don't know yet personally but I'm gonna see where this takes me. I would like to here your thoughts on the story so far or give some feedback. I love feedback especially when its respectful but you don't have to I'm not a review junkie who will stop writing if I don't have enough. Perseverance is key. Well bye-bye for now! :)


	3. The Crimson Tiger and Azure Phantom

Hey! So yeah I'm a liar (this is definitely not one or two weeks later) but that's okay. I was on a role and couldn't stop typing lol. This chapter shows more of Yuna's personality, as compared to the lost and depressed one in the previous, and her breakthrough. I also introduced another OC who serves as Yuna's non-basketball and non-Kuroko related friend who can relate to her artistic passion on a higher level and also be the first new friend she's had in years (I hope y'all understand what I'm trying to say lol). Again thanks for the reviews and follows/favorites, they seriously pumped me up. Anyways onto the story, yay!

* * *

Chapter 2: The Crimson Tiger and Azure Phantom

It was finally the end of the regular school day. Yuna packed up the last of her belongings off of her desk and put them in her school bag. She was chosen to do clean up duty for her homeroom along with some of her other classmates. Double checking to see if she packed up everything, she finally stood up and smiled to the other students.

"I'm going to head out now. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Yuna waved to them with a smile and the others returned it.

"See you tomorrow, Shiraiwa-san." replied a boy as Yuna made her way to the door, sighing. She made it clear to everyone that she preferred to be called by her given name because she felt that being called by her surname was vague. She liked the distinction, the individual feel of it. But, she guessed she couldn't immediately alter a person's personal preference.

"Hey, Yuna, wait up for a second." came a female voice, which belonged to a medium skin toned girl with back length sandy brown hair and olive green eyes who was carrying a light blue duffle bag on her shoulder. "We can walk out together."

"Okay, Chiwa." Yuna smiled as she walked down the hall beside the other girl. Maeda Chiwa is a good friend of hers, pretty much best female friend material even though they only met yesterday. They just clicked with each other, instantly. The two walked home together after school on the first day since they lived two houses apart from each other and talked about anything. Chiwa was a part of the dance club and wanted to become an internationally known dancer when she was older, possibly owning her own dance company someday. Chiwa's eyes sparkled when she talked about dance and Yuna couldn't help but smile at her. She reminded her of herself when she first fell in love with art. Chiwa then dropped a truth bomb, saying she knew about Yuna's fame as an artistic prodigy which caught the girl completely off guard. Something about her sister being an art junkie or what not. Don't get the wrong idea now. It's not like Yuna was devoted to hiding that side of her, she wasn't in the slightest. She just preferred the discovery happen when she got her mojo flowing once again, if she did that is.

"So, where are you headed to?" Chiwa asked. The two walked outside of the school into the rain, umbrellas covering them.

"To the gym to watch the basketball club tryouts. I'm going to support my friend." Yuna answered.

"Hm, isn't that the team Kagami-kun is trying out for?"

"Now that you mention it, he is trying out." Yuna realized. This made her interest in the matter pique to a new level. She was there to support Kuroko one hundred and eighty percent, sure. But, like any other researchers' daughter would, she looked up information about the team. Seirin's basketball team went to the playoffs of Interhigh after being founded that same year. Not to mention they got that far from being coached by a second year female student. That marked double badassery in her book. With the edition of Kuroko, who she already knew was awesome due to her belief and unconcealed bias, and Kagami Taiga, the dude whose name matched with how his intense presence felt, this would be one hell of a year for the basketball team without a doubt. "It's weird but I'm super pumped right now."

"You sure you're just going to support a friend? Or are you secretly hoping to see sweaty, half-naked, muscle bodies?" Chiwa asked with a smirk, raising a finely arched eyebrow.

Yuna scoffed and sputtered, dramatically appalled by Chiwa's assumption, as a red blush stained her cheeks. "That is completely absurd!" Yuna exclaimed in defense. Her voice pitch raising a few octaves, letting Chiwa know she wasn't too far off the mark, which made Yuna blush even harder. "Damn it." She cursed under her breath in clear irritation causing Chiwa to nearly double over in laughter at her new friend's expense.

Chiwa wiped a stray tear from her eye, giggling slightly. "On that note, I shall take my leave and I will see you tomorrow." Chiwa said running in the direction of the dance hall before pausing momentarily. "Oh and try not to drool too much from the masculinity. You wouldn't want them to slip and fall, would you?"

"I told you it's not like that! Chiwa!" Yuna whined in defense but her only reply was retreating laughter. "Mou!" Yuna pouted at the insinuation. Sure, she had a thing for athletes and muscles. So, sue her! She was a growing teenage girl, after all, but she actually had a positive interest in observing sports and wasn't one of those groupies who liked a player because they were cute. That was an added bonus, of course, but she liked the skill and ambition of the players to keep the game going. She would kill Chiwa later for making her sound like a perverted basketball groupie.

She finally made it to the gym and once she changed into her indoor slippers, she gently opened the door, as to not disturb anything that could possibly be occurring at that time. Lucky for her, the players were only dividing into teams. She saw both Kagami and Kuroko wearing yellow practice jerseys along with some other freshmen boys she remembered from the entrance ceremony, Furihata Koki, Kawahara Koichi, and Fukuda Hiroshi. This led her to believe that the game was first years versus the second years, who wore blue jerseys.

Yuna sat against a wall which was close enough to see the action but still a safe distance away. She refused to get hit by a deranged basketball. When she settled she saw the first years were all set and ready to go. The majority were psyching themselves out, saying that the second years were too strong and that they were going to lose. Kuroko just stood there looking on blankly while Kagami smirked confidently. Yuna could just feel the overflowing arrogance radiating off the large teen from where she sat. She hoped he wasn't being too full of himself.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. It's always better to have strong opponents instead of weak ones." Kagami explained to them as he walked forward. "Let's go." He told his team.

The opposing teams met at half court ready for the tip off. The two teams decided to use their biggest players, Kagami for the freshman and Mitobe Rinnosuke, Yuna remembered researching about, for the juniors. The coach, Aida Riko, held the orange ball in one hand with her pink whistle in the other.

"_The upperclassmen's defense is nothing less than skilled, though it could be due to the fact that they are guarding inexperienced rookies._" Yuna deduced before realizing something interesting. "_That's odd. Why is no one guarding Tsu-chan?_"

Riko threw the ball up and blew her whistle, signaling the official commencement of the game. Kagami easily overcame Mitobe with a pretty impressive jump and passed the ball to Kawahara, who caught it successfully. Three upperclassmen tried to block it but Kawahara was able to pass the ball to Kagami who in turn dunked it. Mitobe didn't stand a chance, honestly.

"_Daaaaamn…"_ Yuna thought in her head completely amazed. That dunk was nasty. Y'know, like nasty in the beautiful kind of way. It had all the raw power, the edge, the passion and the incredible intensity. The look in Kagami's eye was super fierce like he was literally pissed out of his mind. Yuna was fascinated. Her hand started twitching before it instinctively reached for the white bag. Her art bag. Yuna's eyes widened at this revelation. "_N-No way…basketball of all things? Seriously?"_ she wondered as she grabbed her book, a small box of oil pastels, a black inking pen, and one of her custom mechanical pencils, which was white and turquoise with a black eraser. When she began her drawing, she saw that everyone was still amazed by Kagami's talent as he hung from the rim by one arm.

"This is unbelievable." said one of the upperclassmen, Hyuga Junpei, the captain to be exact, as he wiped the sweat off of his brow with his shirt. He was amazed by Kagami and felt the boy was more than ready to join the team. A pure monster.

After that, the first years took the lead, 11-8, with Kagami doing everything by himself. He looked on clearly irritated by something, well someone in particular whom Yuna summed up to be Kuroko. He had the ball and forced a turnover for the other team. Ouch. Well, maybe it was just a slow start. It had to be because she would feel awful if she thought he sucked at something he loved. She finished up her drawing of Kagami as the boy accomplished a successful block against the seniors shot with even more of a fiery aggravation.

"Red…" Yuna whispered thinking of the perfect color for the massive teen's background. No, an exact red didn't feel right. He might've fluctuated to and from true red but that didn't truly fit Kagami. He was more of a…crimson. Yeah, crimson was perfect! Crimson red had all the intensity of red but was mellowed out by blue. Yuna summed it up as Kagami seeming like a hard headed brute but looking closely at the detail of his demeanor, the way he carried himself, she could tell he wasn't truly overbearing. Close but not there yet. Though, it was getting harder to tell as he continued his one man show.

"_I wonder if the seniors will do something about that_." she thought. Not soon after it appeared the juniors caught on and started to heavily guard Kagami, putting three players on him. The scoring took a dramatic turn and shifted in favor of the veterans, 31-15. The freshmen were tired and their spirits withering away.

"I've had enough." Furihata exhaled. Kagami then lifted him by the collar of his shirt and stared at him with alarming intimidation.

"Enough? What the hell are you talking about?" Kagami growled. Kuroko came and kneed him in the back of his legs causing Kagami to let Furihata go.

"Please calm down." stated Kuroko politely.

"You bastard…" Kagami seethed menacingly.

"Wow, what a scary face." Yuna giggled, watching the two argue. It was actually very comical. Possibly the beginnings of an some sort of friendship. She finished the drawing and was beyond satisfied with the results, even though it was kind of random. Kagami was posed with his back turned towards all of his opponents, yelling in fury. He emitted flames of crimson and black which seemingly burned all that tried to oppose him. It was very overdramatic but also had a sense of accuracy in an imaginative way. She looked up to see that Kagami was being held back by the other three freshmen as he tried to attack Kuroko. The upperclassmen looked shocked for some reason, even Coach Riko, as they looked over at the rookies.

"Has Kuroko been in the game the whole time?" asked veteran Izuki Shun. Everyone else was baffled by this realization. Seriously? Where else would he be? Did they honestly believe there were only four players on the opposing team? Wow…Seirin people had really bad eyes.

"Excuse me but could you please pass me the ball?" Kuroko asked politely to Fukuda. He was doubtful at first but passed it to Kuroko. In no time Kuroko passed the ball to Furihata to make a basket for the freshmen.

"_A-Amazing._" Yuna thought as she saw Kuroko in action. He passed the ball like a profession, no, it was like a psychological illusion. One second the basketball would be headed towards Kuroko but then it ended up in the hands of another rookie player, who ultimately scored a basket. He also happened to be in the right place at the right time which helped the scores get closer to each other. It was as if he stumped the veterans and misdirected their attention elsewhere. Another fascinating and draw-worthy moment. Yuna drew Kuroko with a solid stance with him passing the ball away from the dark figures. She detailed him with a very light outline compared to the others. The pass was colored with a pale filling, giving it a sort of majestic, sci-fi feel to it.

His background was a light blue, azure to be exact. Kuroko thought of him as an unnoticeable shadow just like his surname suggested, but Yuna never saw him that way. He represented black in a positive way with him being formal, rather mysterious, and quietly comforting but also azure for his determination and incredible sense of encouragement. Kuroko usually knew the right words to say or methods to use to get someone back on track, she knew this first hand.

Focusing on the game once again, she saw that the score was nearly tied. 37-36. The second years were in panic mode. Koganei Shinji held the ball and was ready to pass it to fellow veteran, Tsuchida Satoshi, but Fukuda did a major hustle and smacked the ball away. With quick hands, Kuroko caught the ball and dribbled towards the hoop. The rookies cheered for him as the veterans tried to catch up to him and Yuna anticipated his game winning awesomeness. Kuroko made it to the basket, threw the ball up for a layup and…missed.

"_T-Tsu-chan…"_ Yuna thought as she sweatdropped. Okay, that was a lot less awesome than expected. She looked to see Kagami catch the ball and dunk it.

"You have to make the shot, dumbass." He said to Kuroko, who gave a small smile in return. Yuna's eyes widened at the beautiful moment before a smile made its way to her lips.

She thinks she found a very unlikely muse.

* * *

After school was done with, Kagami went to Maji Burger. He worked up an appetite after practice and bought his usual, an order of fifteen hamburgers. Customers looked at him in astonishment as he walked by and took a seat near the window. Unwrapping one of his burgers and biting into it, Kagami realized that he wasn't alone and saw Kuroko quietly sitting there, sipping his drink. Kagami was beyond stunned and almost choked on his burger.

"Hello." greeted Kuroko.

"Where'd you come from?! What are you doing here?!" Kagami shouted.

"I was sitting here first." Kuroko said matter-of-factly. "I like this place's vanilla shakes."

Kagami smirked. "Go somewhere else."

Kuroko blinked. "I don't want to."

"If someone sees us, they'll think we're friends!" Kagami whispered.

"This is my usual hangout."

Kagami sighed before he threw a burger to Kuroko, who caught it clumsily. "I don't like guys who suck at basketball but you've earned yourself one of those." he smirked.

"Thanks." replied Kuroko.

"Oh, hey there Taiga-kun and Tsu-chan." Both looked up to see Yuna standing before them with a vanilla shake in hand and smile on her face.

"Hello, Yuna-chan." Kuroko greeted, giving her a smile in return.

"Shiraiwa, right?" Kagami asked slightly unsure. He remembered hearing the hushed tones from most of the male, even female, population of Seirin going on and on about how beautiful and cute she was. It was pretty annoying to hear and it was only the second day of school. Though now that he looked at her, Kagami supposed he could admit she was easy on the eyes.

"Yeah, but I like to go by Yuna." She replied before looking at them with a blindingly happy aura around her. "I saw you guys practice today and you both were amazing. It was really inspiring."

Kuroko's eyes widened slightly at hearing her wording. "Does that mean…?"

Yuna nodded. "Yes, I finally got out of my artistic slump. Who would've thought the high school basketball team would be the source to do it?"

"You're an artist?" Kagami asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep." she replied taking out her art book. She flipped to her recent work and showed it to the tall redhead. Kagami's amazed expression showed Yuna that he was impressed. "I call this _Crimson Tiger_ because you have the same intensity as a wild one. Plus I thought it was cool since it was a play on your name."

Flipping to the next page was Kuroko's picture. "I call this _Azure Phantom _due to you being a superb passer that evades opponent detection. It was pretty cool to see that." She turned to a final picture which had two black figures, one shorter than the other, standing side by side. The taller figure had an erratic crimson aura that spiked everywhere while the shorter one had a calm pale azure aura which merged in harmony at the center. After seeing the other two pictures, the two boys had a hunch about who was who. "I think you guys know who the individuals in the picture are. When you both worked together to score the final basket of the mini game, I got inspired. I get the feeling that you both will make a good team in the future; maybe even form a rather interesting friendship. That is why I call this _Iridescent Bond._"

Kagami sighed dejectedly as he glanced at Kuroko, who cautiously unwrapped the burger he gave to him. Even though the drawing was pretty badass in a mysterious and sentimental way, it confirmed all of his fears. They were being lumped together as…friends. Just perfect. He then noticed how close the two pale teens seemed with each other. "Why do I get the vibe that you two know each other?"

"Yuna-chan is a very close friend of mine." Kuroko answered.

Kagami was shocked. "How did that happen?" It was extremely weird and unexpected. Yuna was instantly popular while Kuroko was well…instantly overlooked.

"I've known him since before I learned to walk. Tsu-chan is one of my very best friends."

"Aww what a cute name you have, Tsu-chan." Kagami teased, earning an eye twitch from the quiet boy.

"I could give you a cute name, too." Yuna smiled, catching on to Kagami's mocking tone. "Mew Mew-chan." Kagami's temple throbbed in annoyance.

"No way in hell!"

* * *

"Just how strong is the Generation of Miracles?" Kagami asked Kuroko as they walked through Tokyo's nightlife. Yuna walked closely behind them since they were making sure she made it home safely. "If I played them now, how would I do?"

"You would be destroyed instantly." said a straightforward Kuroko. Yuna giggled at Kagami's irritated expression. The Generation of Miracles, huh? Definitely something she would have to look into. "The five prodigies have each gone on to play for their own school. One of those schools will stand at the top."

Kagami started chuckling arrogantly. "That's great. That's just the thing that is enough to light a fire in me." He smirked. "I've decided. I'll crush all of them and become the best player in Japan."

"I don't think that's possible." Kuroko inquired, quickly bursting Kagami's bubble.

"Oi!"

"Ouch." Yuna chimed in, earning an annoyed look from Kagami. He was beginning to see the connection between the childhood friends. Both annoyed the hell out of him.

"If you had any hidden talents, I wouldn't know. But, from what I've seen, you wouldn't even reach their feet. You can't do it alone." Kuroko said as the trio crossed the street. "That's why I've also decided on something. I'm a shadow. But the brighter the light, the more the shadow accentuates it. I'll be the shadow to your light and make you the best player in Japan."

Kagami was stunned before he broke off into a smirk. "Do whatever you want."

Kuroko smiled. "I'll do my best."

"Yes!" squealed Yuna as she hugged both Kagami and Kuroko's arm. "The Iridescent Bond has been formed! Now the magic can begin!"

"Oi!" Kagami groaned annoyed while Kuroko was unaffected but Yuna smiled nonetheless. She had a gut feeling some very amazing things were going to happen with this duo and she was going to make sure she soaked up every colorful and inspiring moment that revolved around them.

Guaranteed.

* * *

The whole idea for this story stemmed from my Psychology course that like focuses on the attributes of people who embody or like a certain color. I thought it was perfect for this very colorful group of teenagers. Yesterday I went to that course once again and guess what color we analyzed? Yellow. Well until next time...Adieu~


	4. Artistic Addition

Yoohoo! I'm back~ (Lol). Thank you guys so much for the alerts, favorites, reviews! They seriously got me pumped so I could muster through and do my thang. Though Agent Burger and Agent Epic Potatoes made me hungry (true story). Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy! :D

Kuroko no Basuke = not mine :(

* * *

Chapter 3: Artistic Addition

It was around six o'clock in the morning and the citizens of Tokyo were just now waking up to begin their day. Not Yuna, though. She suddenly woke up from her slumber at around a quarter to five with an image for her next masterpiece. She removed her bed sheets and went to sit in front of her canvas to make her imagination visual.

"You're already up?" Yuna turned slightly to see a pale woman with shoulder length raven hair and stormy colored eyes coming in her room. She wore a plush lavender robe over her matching nightwear. She was commonly known as Shiraiwa Kahi but Yuna and her siblings preferred to call her mom. "And painting?"

"Yeah, I dreamt up this idea and had to put it on canvas!" Yuna explained as she added detail to the painting. Kahi walked over to see her daughter's work. The work was a swamp full of subtle colored lotus flowers and a few scattered petals during nighttime. Some were dull while others were just blossoms but one stood out the most. The lotus flower was the only fully bloomed one and largest in size. It was by far the most beautiful one with the most eye catching detail and the illuminant glow that surrounded it. The flower core had two swirling orbs floating around, one dark red and the other pale blue, which coincided in perfect harmony. Yuna never ceased to amaze Kahi by how talented she was when it came to creating art and at such a young age, too.

"What's the name of this piece?" asked Kahi as she smoothed down the unruly mess of bed hair that was on top of her daughter's head.

"I call it _Blossomed Inspiration. _I based it off of how inspired I was after seeing Tsu-chan and my classmate Taiga-kun work together while playing basketball. The rest of the blossoms are the other players on the team who haven't caught my eye yet but I believe they have a hidden talent that is just as inspirational as the one that bloomed." Yuna explained as she put the last finishing touch on the picture, content with its final appearance.

Kahi hugged her daughter and kissed her cheek. "I knew Japan was just the remedy you needed." she said smiling as Yuna looked up at her. Japan was a special place to her. A safe, comforting place. Where her mother gave her life. Where Kuroko gave her friendship. Where her father taught her about finding a calling. Where her brothers taught her about striving against all odds. Where her aunt bought her, her first art book. Where she discovered she loved art. There were so many significant occasions that happened during her early years in Japan that molded who she was. Maybe being away for so long had a diminishing effect on her artistic imagination and Japan's stability was a way for starting fresh. To find renewal, one should go to the origin for replenishment. Knowing her mother, that was probably the theory.

"Yeah, I guess you were right." Yuna giggled.

"Well make sure you finish up and make yourself presentable enough for school." Kahi informed the teen. "Seriously, that bed head is kind of scary."

"Okay." Yuna sighed, earning a giggle from her mother, before dipping her brushes in water.

* * *

Yuna finished up her early morning routines and checked her appearance in the mirror. She wore the pale gray version of the Seirin's female uniform blouse along with the white mini skirt and black stockings. She finished loosely curling her dark hair and accessorized with a white hairclip. Satisfied with how she looked, Yuna put her favorite white locket on and ran down stairs. Grabbing her lunch and a quick breakfast, she exited her house and entered the streets of Japan.

The artistic teen walked alone while eating her toast with jam. Chiwa texted her earlier saying that she had to leave early due to a dance club meeting. Major bummer on Yuna's part. She sighed as she continued to walk until she noticed a familiar redheaded giant not too far ahead of her.

"**Hey, Taiga! Wait up for a second."** Yuna called out to the teen, speaking in English. He stopped and turned to look down at her as she gave him a kind smile. "**Good morning."**

** "Good morning, Shiraiwa."** Kagami replied in English on instinct before he realized it. A moment after he looked at Yuna with shock. "Wait, where did you learn to speak English so well?"

"I told you to call me Yuna." She pouted slightly. "And to answer your question my parents were both born and raised in the U.S, New York and Hawaii to be exact. My father is Japanese while my mom is Korean, so I grew up learning those three languages and some of a few others."

"So how did your parents end up in Japan?" asked Kagami as the two continued to walk towards Seirin.

"My parents are both researchers of people and different cultures, so they had to travel around the world a lot before they finally settled down to start a family. They chose Japan as a home because it's a place they both loved to come to and moved into a house right next door to the Kuroko's." Yuna answered. "And that is the prologue to how I met Tsu-chan, your shadow and new best friend."

"That bastard is not my friend!" Kagami retorted.

"Could've fooled me with that declaration you made last night at Maji's." Yuna said with a raised eyebrow. Kuroko and Kagami both agreed on making Seirin the best in basketball. She didn't get why he tried so hard to deny their bond. The two bickered back and forth slightly during the whole trip to the school entrance and their homeroom. When they arrived, they saw their classmates crowding around the window, some snapping pictures with their phones. Yuna walked over to the window and Kagami stood behind her. Both couldn't help the smiles that appeared on their faces. Written in white chalk on the school grounds in big, bold kanji…_We will be the best in Japan_. The two looked over at Kuroko who sat at his desk reading a book before casually rubbing his nose, revealing a chalk smudge on his uniform sleeve.

Yuna giggled. "Not the most artistic work I've seen, Tsu-chan, but very inspirational nonetheless."

* * *

Classes had ended for the day and people were attending their after school clubs. The basketball club members were changing out of their uniforms and into their training gear. Koganei finished changing and putting his stuff away in his locker when he noticed a _Monthly Basketball Magazine _issue lying on the wooden bench.

"Didn't this come out when Kuroko was still in Teiko?" he asked flipping through it as Hyuga came up beside him.

"Oh, all the players are featured but Kuroko…" he trailed off as he continued to flip through. "…doesn't have an article?"

"Even though you're the sixth guy, didn't they come to interview you?" Koganei asked the boy as he closed his own locker.

"They did, but they forgot about me." Kuroko answered honestly. The juniors all pitied him. "Besides I'm nothing like the other five. They're the true prodigies." As he said that, Fukuda came barging into the changing area.

"She's back! The coach is back!" Fukuda exclaimed. "We're going to play in a practice game." All of the players perked up at hearing this.

"I wonder who we're going to play?" Hyuga asked.

"I don't know." Fukuda admitted. "But she was skipping for some reason."

"She was skipping?!" Hyuga blanched. "Be ready, everyone. If she's skipping, that means our next opponent is going to be really tough." Oh joy! No pressure, right? Since he had already finished changing, Kuroko decided to head out to the gym before everyone else. When he entered he was surprised to see Yuna there since he thought she already went home or tagged along with Chiwa. She dribbled the basketball from close to half court before bending her knee and angling her arms back. With concentration and focus marring her pretty face, she jumped and launched the ball into the air creating a nearly perfect arch. All that followed afterwards was a swish of the net from the ball going through it and a stunned expression on Kuroko's face from witnessing her make a three pointer. Yuna went to go get the ball when she turned to notice Kuroko standing there.

"Hey there, Tsu-chan! I see you finished changing already." Yuna smiled brightly at her childhood best friend while holding the ball in front of her stomach.

"Yes but, Yuna-chan, how did you make the shot so easily? I don't remember you doing anything remotely athletic…"

"Besides being in rhythmic gymnastics for nearly seven years, I know, but…" Yuna was cut off by the sound of voices and the scuffling of shoes approaching.

"Yosh! Let's get to practicing." said the majority of boys as they entered the gym. They all paused at the sight of Yuna who blinked at them before offering them a kind, dimpled smile.

"_S-So cute!"_ all the boys thought as blushes colored their faces, excluding Kagami who was confused by her presence. The others couldn't form coherent sentences.

"Shiraiwa, what are you doing here?" Kagami asked. He seemed to be the only sane, not-super-hormonal, teenage boy in the mix at the moment.

"I told you to call me Yuna, Mew Mew-chan." Yuna pouted. Before Kagami could respond in comical anger at the "adorable" nickname, the artist looked towards Hyuga who blushed from her sudden eye contact. "Please pardon my rudeness, Hyuga-senpai. I'm Shiraiwa Yuna of class 1-B, your new manager. It'll be a pleasure working with you all." She introduced with a respectful bow.

"Eh? Manager? When did this happen?" Hyuga asked animatedly as the others shared his confusion.

"Well, Riko-senpai said something along the lines of coach's assistant or strategic analyst but honestly I'm just as surprised as you all are." Yuna shrugged. "Riko-senpai stared at me like some type of robot doing a scan before she said I had an insanely high intelligence and great eyesight. I appreciated the compliment but I thought it was kind of random since all I wanted to do was draw you guys while you played in games and support my best friend."

"You're an artist? Wait, who's your best friend?" asked Koganei who finally spoke up.

"Apparently Kuroko ever since they were little." Kagami answered for the girl.

"Eh?!" the boys exclaimed before looking towards the phantom sixth player. How could a guy with such a low presence have an incredibly pretty friend like her?!

"We were neighbors from the time I was born until fourth grade." Kuroko answered politely. "She inspired me to find something I love which is how I got into basketball."

"Since this club and sport is so special to Tsu-chan, it's special to me as well. I'll do everything I can to help and make sure you reach the top." Yuna admitted. Well, it was mostly truthful. When it came down to it, they were still pawns in her artistic scheme. She would drain every ounce of motivational action out of them until her hands cramped or they passed out, whichever came first.

Hyuga smiled at the younger girl. "In that case, welcome to the team." He said and she nodded with smile. He then turned towards the other players. "Alright, all of you suit up. We're playing veterans against newbies. Let's go!"

"Okay!"

* * *

Yuna watched the guys from the sidelines and thought they were playing pretty well even though she could clearly see their flaws. Their movements were a tad bit awkward looking when they ran. The shooting trajectory and ball handling left quite a lot to be desired. But in due time they would get better because they had ambition and a great potential. She would try her best in helping to mold them into a truly eye catching team. Sort of like blending multiple colors together to get the most beautiful of hues.

Kagami, on the other hand, proved that he was a ready for any challenge. He went one-on-one with Izuki before quickly bypassing him and dribbling to the basket. Izuki didn't give up and chased him under the hoop but Kagami quickly spun away and jumped to score with his signature dunk. The illuminant glow of the Crimson Tiger. He had that unperturbed goal of beating the Generation of Miracles and, from what Yuna witnessed, he might just be able to do such. He worked really well with Tsu-chan but Kagami had an inner strength that was waiting to be pried open, though this was just speculation on Yuna's part.

The artist felt a hand tap her shoulder and looked over to see Riko smiling at her. Yuna returned it before her upperclassmen walked towards the basketball players. "Gather 'round, everyone!" the coach ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" the team replied. Once they huddled before her, Riko revealed the team they would be practicing against.

"A practice game against Kaijo High School?" Hyuga asked in bafflement.

"That's right! They surely won't disappoint us." Riko assured. "We'll put plenty of first years on the court."

"Disappoint us? They're way better than us." said Koganei. Kaijo High always competes on a national level and goes to Inter-High basically every year.

"This year, Kaijo got their hands on one of the Generation of Miracles, Kise Ryota." Riko informed. The first years were all panicked…well all except Kagami, who smirked arrogantly at the chance of playing one of the prodigies and Kuroko, who remained calm and stoic.

"Kise Ryota?" Yuna whispered thoughtfully before turning to Kuroko. "Isn't he a popular model here in Japan, Tsu-chan?" she asked, still trying to catch up on Japanese pop culture after being away for so long. Plus, she procrastinated on Generation of Miracles research due to her artistic imagination taking priority.

"Yes he is." Kuroko answered with a nod.

"So he's good looking and good at basketball?" Koganei asked in an awed tone. "That's brutal."

"Idiot." Riko sighed. In the background, the basketball club heard clamoring coming from the entrance. Turning around, they saw a large group of Seirin female students on the second level of the gym and lined up on the court, some holding books in their hand.

"Huh? W-What?" stammered a stunned Riko. "What are these people doing here?"

"Umm, I didn't mean for this to happen." said a teenage boy sitting on the stage who happened to be none other than Kise Ryota, Seirin's upcoming opponent. He had a light skin complexion and medium length blonde hair. His eyes were a golden amber color and his eyelashes were long and absolutely gorgeous. Overall, Yuna summed up that he was really handsome. Now, she's seen him in a few fashion magazines but always thought photoshop played a major role in making him unattainably attractive as with a lot of other modeling photography. But, seeing him up close and personal was more than enough to prove that he was all natural. Yuna shook her head slightly to stop getting awestricken by the handsomeness since there was an even bigger question floating around. Why was he here? Kise finished signing a girl's book when he looked up towards the basketball club members and made eye contact with Kuroko.

"It's good to see you again." Kuroko greeted politely with a slight bow.

"Good to see you." Kise replied before rubbing his head, awkwardly. "Sorry but umm, do you think you can wait five minutes?" he asked. Soon those five minutes passed by and all the girl's left. Kise jumped down from the stage and stood up straight with his hands stuffed in his pants pockets, just like he was ready for a photoshoot.

"_He has really good posture."_ Yuna noted in thought. Of course, he needed to have decent posture what with his profession and all. Though, he had a slight slouch, which might hint towards him being laid back and playful. It was still way better than most of Seirin's team. Good posture showed that he had an exceptional breathing control so he won't tire out easily during a game. She could also sum up that he probably stayed really focused and fairly proficient when thinking of plays. Yuna could also further deduce that from his body proportions and physique, such as muscle tone, arm length, shoulder width, and overall leanness, he was really agile and fluid with his movements. Possibly a quick learner who could achieve nearly any technique or position he desired. Well, this was just a prediction since his school uniform concealed pretty much all of his form.

"W-What are you doing here?" asked Hyuga.

"When I heard our next opponent was Seirin, I remembered Kurokocchi went here, so I decided stop by and say hi." Kise explained as we walked to stand in front of the sixth man. "We were the best of friends in middle school."

"Not more than anyone else." Kuroko deadpanned.

"You're so mean!" Kise exclaimed as he cried comical tears. Furihata still had the basketball magazine handy as Kawahara, Fukuda and Yuna crowded around him.

"Even though he started basketball his second year of middle school, his exceptional physical ability and sense made got him to regular position on Teiko's team in a heartbeat." read Furihata. Yuna couldn't decide on whether to do a happy dance at the fact that she had guessed fairly accurately about Kise's prowess or feel worried about Seirin's ability to overwhelm the blonde prodigy and not get slaughtered by Kaijo.

"The article exaggerated quite a bit." Kise said scratching the back of his head. "I'm glad to be called part of the Generation of Miracles but I'm the worst of the bunch. They bullied me and Kurokocchi for it all the time."

"That never happened to me." Kuroko deadpanned once again.

"What? It was just me?" Kise asked with comical tears before he sensed something. A ball flew towards him and he stopped it with his palm. Kagami was the culprit of the offense as he stood over towards the sidelines of the gym with the spare basketballs. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Sorry to interrupt your little reunion but don't tell me you just came all this way to greet us." Kagami smirked. "Why don't you play a little one-on-one with me, pretty boy?"

"What? But I don't think I'm ready." Kise said with a thoughtful look on his face. "Fine, let's do it. I have to thank you for that little display after all." He said tossing the ball back to Kagami.

"Unbelievable." said Riko in exasperation.

"This could be bad." Kuroko warned, scaring Riko due to his lack of presence. Kagami and Kise face off against each other. Kise quickly faked out Kagami as he dribbled to the basket with the redhead hot on his trail. The blonde spun away from Kagami and jumped up to slam the ball in the hoop. Kagami tried to block it but Kise still dunked the ball and Kagami fell to the ground with Kise peering over him.

"Incredible." mumbled Yuna. She had that déjà vu feeling and it was in full effect. Kagami just performed that move not too long ago and Kise threw it right back at him, ten times better. Wow, that would serve as a challenge tomorrow. Kuroko was just as awed, saying that Kise and possibly all of the other Generation of Miracles have improved far beyond his expectations.

"I don't know about this. After something so disappointing, I can't just leave now. Give us Kurokocchi." Kise sighed as he turned to walk towards Kuroko once again. "Let's play basketball together again. I really respect you, Kurokocchi. It's a waste of your talent to stay here. What do you say?" he negotiated. Yuna was peeved on the inside. Hold the hell up! Who the hell does this marshmallow faced punk think he is? He seriously just dissed everyone on Seirin's team. Even her, and she just officially joined the club not even an hour ago! The nerve…

"I am honored to hear you say this but I must respectfully decline your offer." Kuroko answered with a respectful bow. Yuna had the undying urge to point at Kise and go na-na-na-boo-boo all up in his face but she didn't. Yuna was more mature than that. She would just do it in her head.

"That doesn't make any sense. This isn't like you at all." Kise shouted. "Winning was everything! Why didn't you go somewhere better?"

"My thinking has changed since then." Kuroko resolved. "More importantly, I made a promise to Kagami-kun about beating you, the Generation of Miracles."

"It really isn't like you to joke around like that." Kise frowned.

Kagami chuckled with an excited smirk. So this was the power of the Generation of Miracles? Excellent. "What are you doing, Kuroko? I was gonna say that."

"I still have no sense of humor. I'm serious." Kuroko clarified to which Kise smirked. The other club members nearly suffocated from the tension between the three. Yuna knew she was in for one hell of a ride being a part of this basketball team.

Let the games begin.

* * *

Yosh, I finished it! Hallelujah! I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter and I'll be back with the next installment, the Kaijo game. DUN DUN DUN! (Don't know why I did that XD). Anyways thanks again for the follows and favorites, I really really appreciate it! Adieu~


End file.
